1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to merchandise display systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a merchandise display system that is lockable to prevent the merchandise from being removed. Specifically, the invention relates to such a system wherein merchandise can be handled and viewed by the consumer while remaining locked to thwart shoplifting.
2. Background Information
In seeking out products to buy, consumers have a natural desire to be able to handle and view the products for making their purchase. However, vendors naturally have a concern that products will be stolen. As a result, vendors desire merchandise displays which are lockable to prevent such theft. The problem that arises is that merchandise display assemblies do not generally allow the consumer to easily handle and view products without the merchandise assembly being unlocked first.
Thus, the art needs a merchandise assembly which is both lockable to prevent theft and also allows the consumer to easily handle and view the product without the need for the vendor to unlock the display assembly until the consumer has already made the decision to purchase the product. The merchandise display assembly of the present invention solves this problem by allowing merchandise to hang from a display rod by a hanging assembly which allows the merchandise to pivot and swivel freely such that the consumer can handle the product and see it from nearly every angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,716 to Gregory discloses a stereo tape display holder which includes a lockable case to hold the tape, the case having openings in an end wall and side walls thereof through which printed data on the tape may be viewed. A swivel means includes a first annular link coaxially connected to a boss on the case by a bolt or rivet and a second annular link rotatably connected to the first link by a rivet. The second link encircles a rod of a wire display rack sitting atop a display cabinet. The swivel means allows rotation about an axis so that the lockable case is rotatable about said axis with respect to the second link. The rod is freely received by the second link so that the second link may easily slide along and rotate about the rod. This configuration allows the lockable case to be lifted upwardly from the display rack in pivoting relation to the rod and rotated about the axis to facilitate viewing by a consumer.
The configurations disclosed in the Gregory patent leave a variety of areas for improvement. First, the Gregory swivel means rotates about only one axis, so that the swivel means and case must rotate about the rod to allow rotation about a second axis. Applicants' invention, by contrast, includes a swivel which itself allows rotation about first and second axes perpendicular to one another. Thus, Applicants' swivel assembly enhances the ability to maneuver the display case as desired.
Further, the first link of Gregory's swivel means is connected to the display case by a bolt or rivet and the first and second links are attached by a rivet, thus making the case and swivel inseparable, whereas Applicants' invention provides a variety of options whereby the use of a rivet and the like is eliminated and portions of the swivel assembly are separable from one another to allow removal of the display case from the rod assembly. Applicants' ball and socket arrangement requires only two pieces and still provides the additional rotational capability in comparison to the four or more pieces of Gregory's swivel means. The ball and socket configuration provides this simplicity by connecting to the case by a snap fit engagement and linking the two pieces together by interference engagement, thus eliminating separate fasteners. The hinge pin embodiment provides multiple tasking by the hinge pin so that the swivel assembly connects to the case via the hinge pin, rotation about the hinge pin is coaxial with the second axis, and rotation of the display case lid and base occurs about the hinge pin to open and close the display case. Applicants' embodiment using a hanging member, a swivel member and a lower member eliminates need for a boss on the display case, provides a simple snap fit engagement between the hanging and swivel members and provides a snap fit engagement between the swivel and lower members with the latter snap fit providing rotation about the second axis. The various snap fit engagements facilitate assembly of the swivel assembly and the connection to the display case.
As noted above, the Gregory swivel means is configured to be unremovable from the display case and does not permit the display case to be removed from the display rack. Applicants' invention, by contrast, provides a swivel assembly with separable elements which permit the display case to be removed from the rod assembly without unlocking the rod assembly from the support structure, such as a peg board. Thus, after a customer has viewed the item of merchandise while still connected to the rod assembly, a store employee may then easily unlock the display case from the rod assembly to allow purchase of the item. One advantage of this configuration is that the item display case may be removed from the rod assembly without separating the rod assembly from the support structure. Another advantage is that the item may remain in the case until immediately prior to purchase at the cash register, thus providing at least a visual indicator to store or security personnel that the item has not yet been purchased. Additionally, an electronic article surveillance tag may be connected to the display case as opposed to the merchandise, so that an alarm may sound while the item is in the case, but not after it is removed from the lockable display case.
Because Gregory does not include the separable elements noted above, the Gregory device does not need a corresponding locking mechanism. Gregory does disclose locking mechanisms for locking the display case, namely a padlock and a lock with a slidable plunger, but these are standard locks operable with a standard key. Applicants' locking mechanism for holding the separable elements together may be magnetically unlockable and invisible to the eye of a potential thief. The invisibility may prevent a thief from even recognizing that there are separable elements. In addition, the same key may be used for the lock used with the separable elements, the lock used to lock the rod assembly to the support structure and the lock used with the end assembly.
Further, the wire rack display and display cabinet of Gregory have several limitations. First, Gregory's wire display rack is bulky and cumbersome even if not attached to the display cabinet. When attached atop the boxlike display cabinet, the display support structure is particularly cumbersome if not stationary and certainly consumes a great deal of space. In addition, the wire rack is configured in a shelf-like fashion whereby the display cases rest upon one or more wires while attached via the swivel means to the rod.
By contrast, Applicants' rod assemblies are simple and compact, and are thus easily manufactured at a relatively low cost and consume far less precious floor space. Applicants' rod assemblies are easily attachable to support structures such as peg boards and are lockable to such structures to prevent the entire rod assembly and merchandise from being rapidly removed. Rod assemblies are provided which either attach at both ends to the support structure (including the U-shaped embodiment) or include an end assembly, each option configured to prevent unauthorized removal of merchandise from the rod assemblies while permitting easy loading of merchandise thereon. In addition, Applicants' rod assemblies are easily movable and are removable from the support structure to allow reuse of the rod assemblies elsewhere and facilitate reorganization upon the support structure as needed.
Gregory's display case uses walls having openings therein to permit a consumer to view printed material on the merchandise stored therein. Gregory's case also provides a partition wall spaced from one of the walls, the partition wall intended to make the case fit a smaller item of merchandise and being removable in a breakaway fashion to allow the case to fit a larger item. Applicants' display case fully encloses an item of merchandise, thus providing better protection from vandalism and accommodating a variety of sizes of items to be displayed therein without the need for such a partition wall. In addition, Applicants' transparent case offers visibility from all sides without concern for creating wall openings, which must be particularly sized to securely retain the merchandise and simultaneously allow visibility of pertinent indicia on the merchandise.